Q: Why Hasn't My New Dog Barked?

A: A Paw Nation reader asked me if she should be worried that her new puppy isn't barking. The answer? Not at all! If the dog is otherwise healthy, there shouldn't be a problem.

There's no specific age a dog is "supposed" to start barking. Some dogs bark as puppies, but others don't bark until later on. My own dog didn't bark for seven months, and then one day it all came out at once.

Dogs bark for many reasons. Sometimes they are expressing emotion like fear or excitement, and other times they bark just to pass the time -- it depends on the dog and the actual situation taking place. A dog's bark changes tone as it grows, just like human voices.